Experiencing God

I found a wonderful passage of scripture I would like to share with you. It is in Ephesians 1:15-17. It says, “For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you, and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”

“Wisdom” gives insight into the true nature of things, and “revelation” is the unveiling of the object discussed, namely, God Himself.

The purpose of having this wisdom and revelation is that you may know Him, God, better. In the Greek the phrase is, “in knowing of Him.”  This knowing refers not to abstract knowledge of God or objective facts about Him, but knowing Him personally and intimately. It includes an intimate awareness of God’s character and will.

As we know Him we will obtain the wisdom and revelation we need to continue knowing Him better and better. We can develop an intimate fellowship with the Creator of the universe. We can have a daily relationship with Him. We can be familiar with Him. We can experience God!

Many of us have an austere stoic view of God. Many of us are practicing deists. We believe there is a god out there. We just do not believe He is too concerned about what is happening to us right now.

We may have the ignorance to refer to Him as the “Man upstairs”. We may refer to Him as some distant relative, but we do not have an intimate daily fellowship with Him.

Some only experience God in a negative sense. They blame Him for all their tragedies, sicknesses, and problems. Their experience is not based upon Biblical fact but upon desperate ignorance.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians and for us is that we might KNOW Him personally and intimately. Jesus came to bridge the gap between sinful man and holy God. He died on the cross to make the way for us to get to the Father. He is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other way to get to the Father except through Jesus Christ.

Jesus the Son of God has provided the way to the Father. As we know Jesus, we know the Father. If we know Jesus we know the Father.

When we receive Jesus as Savior, we become a child of God. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”

Do you have any children? Have you ever been a child? You know that the longing of the parent is to have a close relationship and fellowship with the child. You know that the longing of the child is to have a close relationship and fellowship with the parent. Is God any different? Why should our communion with Him be less than what we would desire in our earthly family?

It is my prayer, along with Paul the Apostle, that we might all come to know God in a personal and intimate way. I am afraid that many in Glasgow and Barren County know a lot about God but really do not know God. Knowing God produces fruit that is daily evident in our walk. The old man passes away and the new man comes to life.

Do you have an intimate relationship with God Almighty? Are you on speaking terms with Jesus? When was the last time you spent an hour alone with the Lord? He wants to walk with you. He wants to talk with you. Are you listening?